Music of the Tarot

Hi,

Does anyone here use music when reading or meditating on the images of cards? I'm looking for deeply tranquil music like this one:

http://www.sequoiarecords.com/671.shtml

Would anyone like to recommend other artists?

I have a mix CD I made of all of Loreena McKennitt's instrumental tracks. As much as I love Loreena, I find any music with lyrics, even hers, distracts me.

Loreena's Website:
www.quinlanroad.com

I also have a CD I found called Celtic Requiem, but I cannot remember the name of the artist. It's a bit dark and brooding.

I've begun experimenting with using lyrical music in certain situations - for example, over the weekend I did a reading for my friend Jason regarding his new relationship, and played a song that reflected his hopes for that relationship (in this case, "True Companion" by Marc Cohn), and got a good reading, but I don't know if the music helped or not.

C.

ChrisTheObscure said:

As much as I love Loreena, I find any music with lyrics, even hers, distracts me.

Click to expand...

Same here. And thanks for the link. I'll see if I can get a copy of her CD.

For that sort of purpose, I usually put on something like The Art of Fugue and Musical Offering by J. S. Bach. It's serious in mood, and harmonious from start to finish, but it isn't sleepy or motionless, and there's enough going on in it that it manages to be unobtrusive without being monotonous. I like the recording with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, which has both of these works in a 2-disc set.

Another for this purpose that works well, but has singers and lyrics (in Latin) is Perotin by the Hilliard Ensemble.

Exactly what I was looking for... harmonious but not sleepy.

Thank you for the recommendations, ihcoyc.

I'll see if I can get a copy of those too.

I listen to classical too.. I'm a musician, so I kind of ebb and whatnot to the softer and louder.. and slower and faster the music goes... I generally put in mozart

I sometimes like to have music on when I read or meditate with cards. Music without vocals is great but if they are singing in a language I don't know well it is not distracting.

Anonymous 4 sing medieval motets, tranquil, a bit melancholy sometimes, somehow it sounds purifying. All their cds are great but especially "Love's Illusion", French motets on the theme of courtly love.

http://harmoniamundi.com/hmUS/prod_main.asp?numb=907312

Also La Nef, although they are less tranquil, medieval music, some of it vocal and some not.

I hope more people chime in here with what they listen to because new recommendations are great!

Myrrha

Usually I try to minimize background noises when I'm reading, but sometimes I'm in the mood for it. If I have music on, it's generally the kind of music that I feel connects me to higher things. Music with a spiritual punch (for me at least). For me, that's Live (best band in the world - no bias here) and Our Lady Peace. I'm toying with the idea of using Gregorian Chant sometime.

Kes

Music can be distracting for me but when I do music with readings, I prefer: Delerium's Poem, also Karma CDs; Enya; Gregorian chants; Handel's Water Music Suite; Bach's Brandenburg's Concertos (they are rather lively); Mobey; Lothlorien & other medieval/renaissance styles; Queen; The Gladiator movie soundtrack.

I'm such a huge fan of Loreena McKennitt that I can do just about anything with her music as background (i'm not going into any more detail than that...) but I've also found that songs with lyrics in a language I don't know can be less distracting. I like the Medieval Baebes for these moments. When I need something a little more 'aggressive', shall we say, I'll put on Lacuna Coil or Therion or even old Electric Hellfire Club. I also recently had a nice relaxing read with 'Classic Horror Movie Themes' playing quietly in the background. 'Tubular Bells' is actually quite a soothing song, at least to me, despite the brief 'Exorcist' moments playing in my mind's eye...

However, for the remainder of my life, the soundtrack is metal-- the heavier, the better.